In an order issued by the Indian government, 54 Chinese apps have been banned for being a threat to national security, the ministry of electronics and information technology said today.
"These 54 apps allegedly obtain various critical permissions and collects sensitive user data. These collected real-time data are being misused and transmitted to servers located in hostile country," the ministry said in a statement. Some of the 54 Chinese apps include Beauty Camera: Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera - Selfie Camera, Equalizer & Bass Booster, CamCard for SalesForce Ent, Isoland 2: Ashes of Time Lite, Viva Video Editor, Tencent Xriver, Onmyoji Chess, Onmyoji Arena, AppLock, and Dual Space Lite.
59 Chinese mobile applications, including widely used social media platforms such as TikTok, WeChat, and Helo, were banned by India in June last year, citing a threat to the country's sovereignty and security. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the apps were banned under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
Indian authorities have blocked 321 apps since border tensions with China began in May 2020.Initially, the ban was announced days after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops occurred in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley. Both sides gradually stepped up their deployments by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers, as well as heavy weaponry to the eastern Ladakh border after a violent clash at Pangong Lake, occurred on May 5, 2020.During a violent clash in the Galwan Valley that took place on June 15 that year, tensions escalated.
In September, 118 Chinese apps were blocked by the government. The Chinese government opposed India's decision to continue the ban on Chinese mobile applications, claiming the move violated non-discrimination principles of the World Trade Organization.